Gas Station Becoming A Shell of Its Former Self (Video)

I had a ringside seat yesterday as work crews started taking down the canopy at the vacant Shell station next door to our Curran Highway studios.

On Monday workers arrived on scene to dismantle and remove the gas pumps from the station which has been closed since last summer. Then Tuesday I watched as the canopy was methodically attacked by a big orange destroyer from LaMountain Bros. out of Oxford MA. Lettering on the cab reads "Petroleum Equipment Installation Specialist." Seems to me they're pretty good at de-installation too.

Because many times the human brain likes to takes journeys of its choosing, mine traveled back in time to my childhood of the '60s and watching a Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoon which had these giant metal-munching mechanical mice terrorizing the town as they ate TV antennas from rooftops.

Back to reality, after checking with the Mayor's office I was told the canopy was being taken down "for safety reasons." No further information was available on the fate of the rest of the property or any clue as to its future use.

The rest of the canopy structure was brought down Wednesday afternoon. It's seen in a heap at bottom left of the photo.